In trying to translate a document from Immigration the word for residence failed, leaving me with 'Jobless whatshisname' as the subject of this letter.
Other events of interest in the past week are the purchasing of bin bags, a more momentous occasion than you might expect because here in Switzerland you have to buy state bin bags in order to be able to put out your rubbish, and in order to keep taxes down these are charged at a premium (in our Canton about 2CHF each) and must be asked for at the counter - they cannot be left on the shelves as apparently they keep getting nicked! So things you don't have to ask for over the counter in Switzerland: guns, hardcore pornography and euthanasia. Things you do: bin bags.
Incidentally the denial of genocide and other crimes against humanity is an imprisonable offense while viewing child pornography on the Internet is not a criminal offense in Switzerland. Not sure what would happen if you tried shooting at a bin bag full of child porn while shouting that the Iraq war never happened and pumping your elderly relatives full of morphine.
Shopping part 2: More genius differences between UK and Swiss supermarkets.
Do you remember Kwik-Save? Not only did they spell Quick with a K but they used to have a bench a little way away from the checkout where you could sort and pack you shopping at leisure, they even provided cardboard boxes to put it in. I always loved that idea, much better than the harry and rush to thrust your tins on top of your tomatoes in bags that split as soon as you lift them. Well Migros have an even better idea. Not only do they not provide plastic bags even if you ask (they only sell heavy duty reusable ones ) but they still have the checkout divider bar - you know in Sainsbury's they used to have these before the conveyor belts so that 2 people could pack their shopping simultaneously- not only that but there is a large table about 20ft long behind the checkouts where you can not only sort and pack your shopping, but there is a plastics recycling bin so you can dispose of all your extraneous packaging so you don't need to take it all home only to have to take it to the recycling bin later. Genius. Where did we go so wrong in the UK?
